The botched theft of a dirt bike ended with its owner being shot Tuesday morning in Southwest Miami-Dade.

Just before 4 a.m., police were called to the residence at 4201 SW 99th Court to check out reports of a shooting.

When officers arrived, they found 24-year-old Andres Jose Fernandez with a gunshot wound, according to police spokesman Detective Alvaro Zabaleta.

According to witnesses, Fernandez heard a noise outside the home, grabbed a gun and went outside to see what was going on. There he found three men man in their 20s trying to steal his dirt bike and other possessions. Fernandez confronted one of the men, and the two struggled.

“Witnesses are telling us they did hear noises in the area surrounding the house,” Zabaleta said. “There was a physical altercation, they started struggling for the gun, the gun went off, striking the victim.”

“I heard three or four shots,” said neighbor Julia Rodriguez.

The trio ran away as a second person came out of the home and started shooting at them.

Fernandez, who was struck by a bullet in the leg, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

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